The cycling world is shocked by the death of André Drege. The Norwegian is remembered with an honorary ride at the end of the Tour of Austria. The sadness is immense.
The Tour of Austria ended with an emotional condolence ride after the fatal fall of professional cyclist André Drege. A minute’s silence was held before the symbolic start in Kufstein, and the Norwegian’s team members were the first to set off with his start number on their bikes to applause. After that, the riders went in the support vehicles to Tulfes, from where the memorial ride continued over ten kilometers to Innsbruck-Igls.
Tour director Thomas Pupp gave a eulogy to Dreges’ teammates and support staff. Many tears were shed, and not only during this. “Our entire team is shocked by this tragic accident and our thoughts and prayers are with Andrés’ family, his relatives and his Coop-Repsol team in this incredibly difficult time,” said Pupp. The memorial ride was the express wish of Dreges’ father, his teammates and his entire team.
Slovenian Primozic got help
The 25-year-old Norwegian fell on the descent from the Grossglockner on Saturday during the queen stage of the Tour and was found lying unconscious on the road. Resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful. The police then began an investigation. There was initially no new information about the fall.
Slovenian Jaka Primozic from the Austrian team Hrinkow was questioned by police as one of the witnesses to the accident. “André and I were riding at really high speed, there was also a strong wind. He fell for no apparent reason. I didn’t see it clearly, it all happened so quickly,” he said. “It was a really terrible fall at high speed. I immediately sought help and informed the police about the fall in the next corner.”
The stage was actually supposed to end after 144 kilometers at Kühtai at an altitude of 2021 meters. The neutralized honorary ride with a modified route means that the overall victory goes to Italian Diego Ulissi.
Source: Stern
I am Pierce Boyd, a driven and ambitious professional working in the news industry. I have been writing for 24 Hours Worlds for over five years, specializing in sports section coverage. During my tenure at the publication, I have built an impressive portfolio of articles that has earned me a reputation as an experienced journalist and content creator.
